Planning News Articles

Overview

In lesson 7 of 10 in Reading, Writing, Publishing, students move from analysing news writing to planning an original article. They choose a relevant topic and make deliberate decisions about angle, audience, purpose, structure, facts, and quotations before drafting in the next lesson.

Learning intentions

• WALT select a newsworthy topic connected to our interests, whānau, cultures, or local community.
• WALT shape a clear angle for a specific audience and purpose.
• WALT organise the 5Ws and 1H, facts, and possible quotations into a purposeful article plan.
• WALT make language and structural choices that will engage readers.

Success criteria

• I can identify the who, what, when, where, why, and how of my topic.
• I can write a focused headline and explain my article’s angle, audience, and purpose.
• I can distinguish between a fact, a possible quotation, and an opinion.
• I can organise enough accurate material to begin drafting confidently.

Curriculum links

• Develop ideas in writing using stylistic and written conventions: students sequence and build connected ideas for a chosen audience and purpose.
• Demonstrate understanding of specific aspects of studied text: students apply knowledge of news structure, style, language features, and techniques from texts studied earlier in the unit.
• Demonstrate understanding of how context shapes verbal language use: students consider how time, place, purpose, and audience influence article language.
• English Learning Area, Level 6: students select and shape ideas, language, and structure to communicate effectively.

Lesson structure (90 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · News hook and retrieval. Teacher opens with the provocative news hook and retrieval prompts: “Which local story would people your age genuinely care about, and why?” and briefly revisits the typical news article structure, headline conventions, audience, angle, and the 5Ws and 1H. Students silently list two possible stories, then share one with a partner and identify what makes it newsworthy.

2. 10–22 min · Model a planning decision. Teacher displays the worked article-planning example and thinks aloud, modelling how a broad topic such as “school lunches” becomes a focused angle such as “Students propose changes to reduce food waste at school”; clarify that an angle is the particular viewpoint or focus of a story. Students annotate the example and suggest a stronger headline, audience, and purpose.

3. 22–35 min · Topic selection and conference check. Teacher distributes the news article planning template and explains the choice of topics: school or youth issues, local events, community initiatives, environmental concerns, cultural celebrations, sport, arts, technology, or whānau stories. Students generate three options, complete a quick newsworthiness check, and select one; teacher circulates and briefly conferences with students to check that topics are manageable, respectful, safe, and based on information they can verify.

4. 35–55 min · Build the article plan. Teacher uses the 5Ws and 1H planning instructions to demonstrate recording specific information rather than vague notes, and models the difference between a fact, an attributed statement, and an unsupported opinion. Students complete the headline, topic, angle, intended audience, purpose, and 5Ws and 1H sections of the worksheet, using bullet points and noting where further research or confirmation is needed.

5. 55–72 min · Evidence and quotations workshop. Teacher shows the evidence and quotation examples and teaches students to plan at least three relevant facts and two possible quotations from appropriate people, such as a student, organiser, expert, kaumātua, community member, or official source. Discuss consent, accurate attribution, cultural respect, and the importance of never inventing quotations. Students add facts, possible interview questions, and quotation ideas to their plans, labelling information as confirmed, to check, or a possible interview response.

6. 72–84 min · Peer editorial review. Teacher displays the peer-review checklist and discussion prompts and pairs students for a structured review: partner A explains the story in 30 seconds, while partner B checks the angle, audience, 5Ws and 1H, evidence, and likely reader interest; then students swap. Students give one specific strength and one actionable suggestion, revise their plan, and complete the worksheet’s readiness checklist.

7. 84–90 min · Exit check and next step. Teacher returns to the plenary and exit prompts and asks students to complete a final verbal or written check: “My article is about…, my angle is…, and my strongest evidence will be…”. Students submit or photograph their completed plan and identify one fact or quotation they must confirm before drafting the article in lesson 8.

Resources

• the news article planning slide deck
• the news article planning template
• Projector or interactive display
• Pens, highlighters, and writing books
• Examples of age-appropriate local, youth, cultural, or community news stories
• Access to school-approved research sources, if available
• Timer for topic conferences and peer review

Assessment

• During topic selection, check that each student has a focused, feasible, and respectful angle rather than only a broad subject.
• Review planning templates for a clear audience and purpose, complete 5Ws and 1H, relevant facts, possible attributed quotations, and notes identifying information that still needs checking.
• Use the final response to assess readiness for drafting: students should be able to state their topic, angle, and strongest evidence. Provide targeted feedback before lesson 8.

Differentiation

• Provide the planning template with prompts, a modelled example, and a bank of possible youth and community topics for students who need support; allow dictation or speech-to-text for students with writing difficulties.
• Confer early with students who choose sensitive or very broad topics, helping them narrow the focus and consider privacy, consent, cultural safety, and reliable sources.
• Support EAL learners with visual examples, explicit teaching of “angle”, “audience”, “purpose”, “fact”, and “quotation”, plus permission to discuss ideas before writing.
• Extend confident students by requiring a deliberately contrasting headline and angle, a planned opening paragraph, and consideration of whose perspective may be missing from the article.